On a house, a metal roof that is put on the right way is not much louder than shingles in the rain. The loud "tin roof" sound most people think of comes from barns, sheds and carports, where the metal sits on open boards with nothing under it and no ceiling below. A home is built a different way. The metal goes over a solid wood deck, a layer of underlayment, an attic and insulation, and each of those soaks up sound. Stone-coated steel also has a foam pad under the panels, so it is as quiet as shingles. Big hail will be loud on any roof. But for most homes in Crowley, Fort Worth and nearby towns, rain noise should not be the reason to say no to metal.
The photo at the top of this page shows an example home with a stone-coated steel roof.
Why people think metal is loud
Most of us have stood in a barn when a storm rolled in. There, the metal is screwed to thin boards with air on both sides. Each raindrop hits the sheet, and the sheet rings like a drum. On a house, there are several layers between the rain and your bedroom. That is the whole story.
What sits between the rain and your ceiling
Here is what a metal roof on a home goes on top of, from the outside in:
- The metal panels. This is where the rain hits.
- The underlayment. This is the layer that goes under the roof. It keeps water out and also dulls some of the sound.
- The roof deck. These are the solid wood boards that hold up the roof. Wood soaks up sound, so the metal can not ring the way it does on a barn.
- The attic. The air space in the attic puts room between the roof and your living space.
- The insulation. The fluffy layer on your attic floor slows down sound as well as heat.
Take away any of these and the roof gets louder. Keep them all and most people find the rain sounds close to what they heard with shingles.
The two kinds of metal roof, and how they sound
- Stone-coated steel is steel shaped like wood shake or clay tile, with small bits of stone on top. A foam pad goes under the panels, and that is the reason it is as quiet as shingles when it rains. The stone on top also breaks up the hit of each drop.
- Standing seam is long, smooth panels with raised ribs running up the roof. On a house it goes over a solid deck and underlayment, with an attic below. Most people find it close to a shingle roof. Because the panels are smooth, a hard rain can have a soft, steady patter to it.
Our post on standing seam vs. stone-coated steel covers the other ways the two differ.
When a metal roof can be louder
A metal roof is more likely to be loud in these cases:
- No solid deck. Metal put on open boards, the way a barn is built, rings in the rain. On a home, ask for a solid deck.
- A vaulted ceiling with no attic. If a room has a high ceiling that follows the roof line, there is no attic to soften the sound. Ask what goes between the roof and that ceiling.
- A thin layer of insulation. Many older homes in Fort Worth, Arlington and Cleburne have less attic insulation than they should. Adding more helps with both noise and heat.
- A porch, patio cover or carport. These often have no ceiling or a thin one. You will hear rain on them more than on the main roof.
- Loose panels or screws. A panel that is not fastened tight can rattle in wind or tick in the rain. That is an install problem, not a metal problem.
What about hail?
Hail is loud on any roof. On metal, it can sound sharper, a lot like hail on a car.
The bigger question is what the hail does to the roof. Stone-coated steel carries a Class 4 rating, the top rating for hail. That means it passed a hard impact test. It does not mean hail can never leave a mark, and no roof is hail-proof. But in a place like Burleson or Mansfield, where hail comes through often, many people would trade a few loud minutes for a roof built to take the hit.
Does a metal roof pop or creak?
Metal grows a tiny bit when it heats up and shrinks when it cools. On a hot Texas day, when a cloud passes over or the sun goes down, some metal roofs make a soft tick or pop as they move. This is normal, and on most homes you will not hear it from inside.
Loud bangs can mean the panels are fastened too tight, or something is loose. Have a roofer look.
Questions to ask your roofer about noise
- Will the metal go over a solid deck? On a home, the answer should be yes.
- What underlayment will you use? Ask what goes under the panels and why.
- Is there a foam pad? On stone-coated steel, there should be.
- What about my vaulted rooms and porch? Ask what goes between the roof and those ceilings.
- Should I add attic insulation? If your attic is thin, it may be a good time to add more.
- Can I hear one? Ask if there is a home with the same roof you can stand in during a rain. Hearing it yourself tells you the most.
The other things to weigh
Noise is only one part of the choice. Metal costs more up front than shingles. Stone-coated steel is rated to last 50 years, is rated for 140 mph wind, and has a Class A fire rating, the top rating. It pays off most if you plan to stay in your home a long time. If you may sell in a few years, a good shingle roof may be the better use of the money. Our honest comparison of metal and shingle roofs walks through that.
What to do next
If you live in Crowley, Fort Worth, Burleson, Mansfield, Joshua or nearby and you are thinking about metal, see our metal roof page. Then call Legacy Roofing at (817) 602-2057. We can talk through your deck, your attic and any vaulted rooms, and price metal next to shingles, in writing, so you can weigh them and decide.
